S-2

I've no doubt that it's a cold slap against the Israeli Army, in particular, and a personal/professional challenge laid on their officer/NCO corps.

Fighting on your turf and somebody else's are two different things, even when you know your neighbor's locale like the back of your hand (and the IDF does).

The colonel is correct about regular forces. Short of Israeli army reserves making a miraculous comeback, this battle will again be a classic mid-intensity light infantry/armor mix in constricted terrain and built-up areas of the first order. That will take Israel's best and honed to perfection at that.

To do it right it'll need to be a multi-divisional or corps breach and include a significant air-assault envelopment component. Heavy-duty stuff that will take a max effort on clearly defined objectives and little hesitation allowed.

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"This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski

Gun Grape

But the government hasn't sold the population that its a reason to go to war.

Israeli 'draft dodgers' protest occupation - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/Art...462271,00.html

The focus is on female deserters but look at these numbers
Thats not a good sign and going back further,The Combat troops letter of 2002.The Pilots and the commandos letters of 2003, and the Mateh Chomat Magen letter in 2005 added to the desertions and the 25% draft dodging rate
shows that there iare major core problems with both the IDF and the government.

Things that no amount of time at the Ground Force Training Center will fix.

omon

my friend served in idf, right after his 2 year term in ukrainian army, my friend that lived in the same building as me, in ukraine, and went to the same shcool as me is serving in idf now, my 2 relatives (girls) served, service is mandatory in israel 1 year, everyone that came to israel got citizenship automaticly, but they must serve, as for desrters, from what my friends tell me, quite a few immigrants, that must serve, leave israel before enlistment age, to skip service, that if they ever were to come back,they do it when they are after 28, but israili authorities, wait for them in the airport with hand calfs ready, and i know of cases when ppl were arrested in the airport, some kids i even knew, or they try to pay off doctors, or fake mental dissabuility, so called paragraff 21. there is a leagal way to put off service, if a person under enlistment age leaves the coutry, they must register, and will be up for service within 6 months after return. assuming thay are come back before they turn 28.
i see planty of kids here, that went to israel from ussr, than left for us before 18 years of age, some said, if it wasn,t fer service they wouldn,t leave, i have 0 respect for kids like that. to me they are traitors, they escaped communist rule, come to a country that welcomed them and gave them citizenship, but they aren,t paying the dues, in us service is not mandatory, in israel is. espesially since israel needs ppl to protect the homeland from real eveyday threat.

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"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" B. Franklin

Stan187

The 25% figure is way overblown. At least 10-15% of those are ultra-orthodox who legally wiggle out of serving. Of the other 10-15%, many are women who get shortened army assigments anyway. I, along with many, don't agree with the fact that they can get off the hook by going to religious schools, but that is the letter of the law. They are thus not dodging the draft illegaly. I'd say that a majority of the ultra-orthodox do not serve. It has nothing to do with the public being sold on the war or not being sold on the war. The numbers you put up, ~1000 per year, are not a big hit on recruitment, especially considering that overall majority of Israelis are obliged to serve.

Suprising Statistics

More people are requesting combat positions, especially in Golani, which is THE reg-force infantry brigade assigned to northern command, and which took some real hits during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War. It seems that the population is more sold on the cause against Hizballah than you think, Sir, otherwise they would volunteer for central or southern command brigades.

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In Iran people belive pepsi stands for pay each penny save israel. -urmomma158
The Russian Navy is still a threat, but only to those unlucky enough to be Russian sailors.-highsea

Gun Grape

[quote=Stan187;491384]The 25% figure is way overblown. At least 10-15% of those are ultra-orthodox who legally wiggle out of serving. Of the other 10-15%, many are women who get shortened army assigments anyway.[quote]
You didn't read the article. From the first link
A 4% increase isn't an indication that the population is sold on the cause.
After seeing how people volunteer to go on deployments as soon as a MEU does a real world mission, I'm surprised that the number isn't much higher. Its more of the "If I'm going to be in the Army, I want to do something, See some action" response of a young male than anything else. Young male testosterone and peer pressure of not wanting to have the people think I wasn't as tough as them. Or couldn't measure up.

I think if you poll all us old military types, especially the combat arms ones, we would just about all say "Been there, Done that."

Stan187

[quote=Gun Grape;491491][quote=Stan187;491384]The 25% figure is way overblown. At least 10-15% of those are ultra-orthodox who legally wiggle out of serving. Of the other 10-15%, many are women who get shortened army assigments anyway.Nearly twice the enlistment in the brigade that took some of the heaviest casualties and was sent into the worst hot spots during the Lebanon war, and the one that is the first called on the Northern front.. I think its a pretty notable point.